title: Clinical and epidemiological features of hepatitis C virus infection in South Korea: a prospective, multicenter cohort study.
abstract: The epidemiological and clinical features of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in South Korea were examined in a prospective, multicenter cohort study that included 1,173 adult patients with positive results for anti-HCV antibody who completed a questionnaire survey on the risk factors for HCV infection from January 2007 to December 2011 at five university hospitals. The HCV cohort had a mean age of 55.4 years with 48.3% men, and diagnostic categories of acute hepatitis (n = 63, 5.3%), past infection (n = 37, 3.2%), chronic hepatitis (n = 777, 66.2%), cirrhosis of the liver (n = 179, 15.3%), and hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 117, 10.0%). The major HCV genotypes were genotype 1 (52.7%) and genotype 2 (45.3%). Liver biopsy was performed in 301 patients (25.7%), and 42.8% of the subjects received antiviral therapy against HCV. The behavioral risk factors possibly related to HCV infection were intravenous drug use (5%), needle stick injury (7%), blood transfusion before 1995 (19%), sexual relationship with more than three partners (28%), piercings (35%), tattoos (36%), surgery (43%), acupuncture (83%), diagnostic endoscopy (85%), and dental procedures (93%). Age, intravenous drug use, needle stick injury, transfusion before 1995, and tattoos were the independent risk factors of HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mun Hyuk
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Seong
authors.forename: Ho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kil
authors.forename: Young Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Si Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Youn Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Han Chu
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byung Hak
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sook-Hyang
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies
keywords: Korea; epidemiology; genotype; hepatitis C virus; treatment